Job Share Scheme

Contents

1 INTRODUCTION 3 2 DEFINITION OF JOB SHARING 3 3 RECRUITMENT ADVERTISING 3 4 INITIATION OF JOB SHARING 3 5 ARRANGEMENTS WHEN ONE JOB SHARE PARTNER LEAVES 4 6 WORK ALLOCATION 4 7 CONDITIONS OF SERVICE 4 8 MONITORING OF JOB SHARE ARRANGEMENTS 5

Contacts

In the first instance for further information on this document please contact your Department Human Resources section:

This document is maintained by Corporate Human Resources. Please telephone: 020 8545 – 4145 for further information or email: pat.edwards@merton.gov.uk

www.merton.gov.uk 1 Introduction

1.1 The Council operates a Job Share Scheme, which enables the sharing of the duties and responsibilities of a post between two people. The scheme applies to all full-time posts, unless exemption is authorised by the Chief Executive. Job sharing allows flexibility for those who may wish to, or need to, work less than full time, and facilitates career development as it can take place within most jobs across the Council.

2 Definition of job sharing

2.1 The term Job Sharing means the sharing of duties and responsibilities of a full time job between two people.

3 Recruitment advertising

3.1 All advertisements will include the following statement about job sharing; "Job Share applicants welcome with or without a partner". A statement about the Job Share Policy will also be inserted on the front of the "Job News" produced by the Corporate Human Resources Unit.

4 Initiation of job sharing

4.1 Employees working full time who wish to job share their existing post should notify their line manager in writing. Alternatively employees can respond to an advertisement where job share is available.

4.2 Women will have the facility of job share on their return to work from maternity leave other than in exceptional circumstances where the post is exempt from the job share scheme for operational reasons.

4.3 Sharers will normally be required to share the hours evenly between them.

4.4 Disputes over a refusal for a post to be job shared will be handled through the grievance procedure. 5 Arrangements when one job share partner leaves

5.1 If one job share partner leaves, the remaining partner will be given the option of increasing their hours to full time on a permanent basis if they wish to do so. If not, another job share partner will be sought through the normal recruitment procedures. The remaining job share partner may agree to cover the full range of duties attached to the post until a new partner is appointed but any such arrangement must be by mutual agreement and the agreement set out in a letter temporarily varying the individual's contract of employment.

5.2 Existing job sharers may apply for transfer or promotion to another post on a job share basis or they may apply for transfer or promotion to another post on a full-time basis.

6 Work allocation

6.1 Wherever possible, both job share partners will be allocated a similar range of duties and responsibilities to facilitate their career development. In such cases the career development needs of the individuals' concerned may mean that their duties and responsibilities are alternated at appropriate periods.

6.2 Training and development needs of job sharers will be addressed in the same way as those of full time employees. Job sharers will be given equal opportunities in terms of selection, promotion and access to training.

7 Conditions of service

7.1 Job sharers will be paid the appropriate rate of pay for the job on a pro rata basis, in accordance with the number of hours worked and the grade of the post.

7.2 A post which is shared will remain on the establishment as a full-time post and the grade of that post will be applied to all of the job sharers. Any review of the grading of the post will take into account the duties as a whole and not the individual duties and responsibilities of specific job sharers.

7.3 Incremental progression will be on an individual basis. Progression through the grades of job sharers in a career graded post will be on an individual basis. 7.4 All entitlements associated with length of service, e.g. sick pay; annual leave; and other conditions of service will be individually applied and calculated on a pro-rata basis. All provisions related to length of service will be based on a job sharers individual circumstances. Merit payments or profit share etc. will be paid on an individual basis.

7.5 The aggregate hours worked by job sharers shall not exceed the normal full-time hours of the post shared.

7.6 The number of hours worked by the job sharers should not normally exceed the contracted hours. Approved additional hours will qualify for time off in lieu or be paid at the plain time rate except where such hours exceed the normal full-time working hours in which case the extra hours will attract time off in lieu or overtime payment.

7.7 Job sharers filling a post to which an essential car allowance is attached will each receive the full lump sum plus the mileage rate in accordance with the Council's car mileage scheme. Job sharers with casual user allowances will be paid mileage rates according to the terms of the Council's car mileage scheme.

7.8 Applications from job sharers for car loans will be considered in accordance with the National Scheme of Conditions of Service.

8 Monitoring of job share arrangements

8.1 A record of posts which are covered by job share arrangements will be kept by Corporate Human Resources who will record the hours worked and post numbers for monitoring purposes.